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Constant-dollar manufacturing sales fell 2.4 per cent in October, indicating a decline in the volume of manufactured goods sold.

Sales were down in six provinces, though the decrease was concentrated in Ontario, where sales dropped 3.4 per cent to $22 billion.

Canada’s factory output has stagnated since reaching about $50 billion in last December and remains threatened by Europe’s debt crisis and U.S. negotiations to stave off about $600 billion (U.S.) of tax increases and spending cuts due in January. Manufacturers also are being held back by weak productivity gains and a high dollar, which makes Canadian goods less competitive.

“The Canadian shipments report was plain awful,” said Krishen Rangasamy, senior economist at National Bank Financial in Montreal. The data adds to signs a Dec. 21 report will show economic growth was limited to 0.1 per cent in October, he said.

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